It is now well known that smoking is a leading cause of heart and lung diseases. Indeed warning labels are required on all cigarette packages, cigarette advertising has been banned from the broadcast media, and smoking in public areas, such as airplanes, trains, offices and restaurants is being restricted or banned.
Cigarette smoking causes a physical addiction to nicotine. Accordingly, it is very difficult to quit smoking cigarettes without participating in a smoking cessation program carefully designed to wean a user from the nicotine addiction and the smoking habit. Smoking cessation programs generally last for a specific duration or treatment period and provide a regimen of intervals, of generally increasing duration, at which time the user performs a certain task, such as smoking a cigarette, or having a cigarette substitute. However, it is often difficult for a user to adhere to the program schedule since the time between intervals is generally gradually increasing.
Accordingly, the present invention provides means and methods for a person to more easily adhere to a specific schedule adapted to reduce the user's propensity to smoke.